The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-25

until Dumfries reached. Dumfries is the
most considerable town in the South OF
Scotland, situated upon the banks Of an estuary
of the NTH, and Immortality associated with
the name and fame of Burns. Here he lived,
with his family, in three story plain brick house
at the foot of Bank street, near the river bank.
On the front Of the house is a tablet saying:
Robert Burns, the National poet. lived in this
house, with his family, on coming to Dumfries
from Ellisland in I79I." The lower story is oc-
cupied as a shop by Mrs. Gordon. general dealer,
licensed to sell tobacco, ETC., etc." In the shop
window were displayed jar of sweets-candies
and q few other two-cent dsmal-looking. fly
bitten and age beerimed articles The upper
stories are inhabited by families who are blessed
with quite number children. A somewhat close
inspection failed to reveal the possibilities Of
future poet samone the frowzy loo
When Burns lived in Dumfries the
Globe Tavern was his favorite place OF
resort. and walked up Bank street the four or
five blocks necessary to reach the main business
street on which the inn is situated. The keeper
showed me the room where Burns and his club
of jolly good fellows spent their evenings, the
chair used by the poet being kept in the same
old corner, but now surrounded with . sort OF
closet, under lock and key to prevent relic hunt
ers from cutting it to pieces. On invitation
seated myself In the chair at the head of the ta-
BILE. but was not then, and have not been since,
conscious of any divine afflatus Upstairs is an
other room freauented by Burns. and OF
the panes of glass scratched two verses by
him with diamond-one, 'Gin body
meet a BODY and the other, 30 Lovely Polly
Stewart The young man told me
be had to watch these panes like q
hawk; several attempts had been made to remove
them The poets grave is in tho
church-yard Of st. Michael's. 1t is q
dome-like structure-they call it maui
solemn. Circular in shape, the inside forms
good sized room, side of which is the
sculpture representing Burns at the plough,
with the muse of poesy about to cover him with
her mantel Over his grave is the inscription.
I'm memory OF Robert Burns, who died 81 Of
July. 1876, in the 9th year Of his age"
and at the foot is added. Remains removed into
this vault 10Th Sept 1915. Jean Armour died
Goth of March, 1884" The mausoleum is owned
by the Burns club, and is in charge of the sexton
of the church. His bright little daughter piloted
me through the yard to the grave, and told me
thers was almost a steady stream of visitors, not
a single day passing by without at least one, and
at times the number reaching up into the scores,
as indicated by the visitors book kept in the
burial room. Leaving the churchyard, it is not
mo than block to the house wherein Burns
died. The little court starts from the street at
the side Of the church. and is scarcely block long,
when 1t narrows into dismal sort of an alley,
"closs," that is so frequent feature in these
Scottish towns and cities. A grammar school
has been built next to the house. aud in the
front of that is a tablet with the inscription
''In the adjoining house to the north lived and
died the poet of his country and of mankind
Robert Burns" The house is now occupied by the
master of the school. It is a twostory, plas-
tered front house, neat.lookine but quite humble
in appearance and lowly in surroundings. As
stood in front of it. trying to fix it in memory.
1 wondered whether that schoolmaster was liv-
ing up to his privileges.
The monument to Burns stands in the new
and better quarter of Dumfries in Church
Place. I never Just such statue. 1t 10
the m ost charming piece Of marble in existence,
aside from the fact that it represents Burns. OF
the purest white marble. it is actually alive; It
is speaking" likeness in very truth. It rep
resents the poet in easy attitude. resting up
a stump with his dog at his feot. and HIS
Scotch plaid about his waist and falling grace
fully over his Bonded knee His right hand
clasps his coat lapes. and in his left lying upon
his thigh. is bunch of daisies. AT his feet IS
his Tam O'Shanter cap and his pipe The poet has
long hair. combed from the left side and some-
what low down upon his forehead. The OK
preston of his face and eyes is frank. boyish,
charming, and the entire figure is the most grace
full and "alve" piece Of marble 1 ever looked
upon. 1t sets upon a square granite pedestal,
surrounded with an iron fence. Upon the main
face is the inscriptions: